A coalition of businesses, residents, elected officials and environmental organizations will mark the anniversary of the BP oil spill by taking a stand against drilling on Florida's coast.

The coalition is holding a press conference on Pensacola Beach at 9:56 a.m. Friday, eight years to the minute after an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig killed 11 people.

Coalition members will speak in honor of the lives lost in the disaster and the spill's environmental, economic and social impacts to our area. The group will also announce its organized opposition to proposals to allow drilling off the Florida coast and to eliminate well safety rules put in place after the 2010 disaster.

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Individuals seen in the first week following the flood last year (May 2015) with lesions of varying kinds. It is unknown precisely what caused these lesions or how they influenced dolphin health, but many persisted for 6-9 months following the spill. Lesions occurred on both adults and calves. Photo taken under the authority of NMFS Loc No. 19062/Special to the News Journal

Individuals seen in the first week following the flood last year (May 2015) with lesions of varying kinds. It is unknown precisely what caused these lesions or how they influenced dolphin health, but many persisted for 6-9 months following the spill. Lesions occurred on both adults and calves. Photo taken under the authority of NMFS Loc No. 19062/Special to the News Journal

Mother and calf seen a year after the flood (April 30, 2015) with white heads. Both were seen in July, 2014 without any white, so researchers know this is a condition that started sometime after that. Photo taken under the authority of NMFS Loc No. 19062/Special to the News Journal

Calf seen a year after the flood (April 30, 2015) with white heads. Both were seen in July, 2014 without any white, so researchers know this is a condition that started sometime after that. Photo taken under the authority of NMFS Loc No. 19062/Special to the News Journal

Picture of the same calf on May 31, 2015, only one month later. Both mom and calf’s conditions worsened rapidly, with calf looking more severe. By July, 2015, the mom’s condition had improved but the calf was not seen with her. Researchers are not sure if it is still alive. The cause of this condition is still under investigation. Photo taken under the authority of NMFS Loc No. 19062/Special to the News Journal

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Currently, the confirmed speakers are Grover Robinson, Escambia County Commissioner for District 4; Benjamin Stevenson, an attorney and a member Pensacola Beach Advocates; Mike Pinzone, a beach business owner and operator of the Gulf Pier;
JJ Waters, of the Surfrider Foundation Emerald Coast Chapter; and Christian Wagley, of the Gulf Restoration Network.

At the press conference, the group will also unveil a new report from the Gulf Restoration Network outlining ongoing spills and safety issues with current Gulf drilling operations, along with the latest information on proposed drilling and rollback of well safety rules.

The Justice Department and five states along the Gulf of Mexico announced Monday a record $20.8 billion settlement with BP in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.(Photo11: News Journal file photo)

Earlier this year, the federal government announced a proposal that could open more than 98 percent of the nation's continental shelf to oil and natural gas leasing. The agency received more than 10,000 responses from citizens, most of whom opposed new offshore drilling.

This week, the Florida Constitution Revision Commission announced a proposed amendment to the state Constitution that would ban drilling in Florida state waters — a change proposed by commission member and former Pensacola Beach resident Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch — would appear on the general election ballot this November.

The local press conference begins at 9:56 a.m. just south of the Casino Beach pavilion on Pensacola Beach.

Kevin Robinson can be reached at krobinson4@pnj.com and 850-435-8527.

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